Tony Stark is Not a
by PeaceLoveParvati
Summary: There are many ways that Tony Stark can be described, but there are also many things that he is not.
1. Tony Stark is Not a Liar

_Chapter One: Tony Stark is not a liar_

Fury was rambling on about damage done to the city, and Tony was bored. Jarvis had hacked into the files for him (again), and he was having much more fun reading SHIELD secrets than he would have had by listening to Fury talking about total cost of repairs and number of buildings destroyed and damaged. There was a file labeled "TS Coulson" that looked promising, but as Tony read through it, his heart clenched. He looked at his fellow Avengers, each paying attention to Fury (all but Barton, who was busy writing something in a small notepad he carried with him everywhere) and took a moment to wonder who amongst them knew the truth of what happened to Phil Coulson. He couldn't keep this quiet.

"Who knew?" he asked quietly, looking directly at Fury. "Who all knew?" He had a small satisfaction at seeing Fury's shock when he realized just what Tony was asking.

"We'll discuss that later, Stark. Everyone present is aware, if that is what you were asking," Fury replied, turning back to his notes.

Tony would be lying if he said that didn't hurt. So what, his fellow Avengers were all trustworthy, but Tony himself didn't have a right to know that the agent was still alive? Fine, he'd keep quiet then. He'd fade into the background like they apparently all wanted. Even Bruce... He shook his head, letting the thought fade

_time jump_

Days later, Tony figured out where they were keeping Coulson and went to see him. Phil looked horrible, which was to be expected. He was laying in a hospital bed in the medical bay at SHIELD, pale and sleeping. Tony sat by his bed and struggled to get his thoughts under control. He wasn't always a huge fan of the agent, but he respected him. There wasn't anyone else who would follow through on a threat to tase the great Tony Stark, but this man had several times. Tony had learned to fear that taser.

As he was sitting there thinking, Phil was waking up. He hadn't had any other visitors (Tony had checked, and then he'd gotten even more pissed off. How could his "friends" know that Coulson was alive and not come to make sure he was okay?), and Tony was sure he wasn't expecting any. So when he saw Tony sitting there, he understood why the man was so shocked.

"Stark. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, his voice raspy from lack of use.

"Just found out you're alive. I know you don't really like me, but I figured one of us should come make sure you're okay, since they all apparently knew and chose not to," Tony replied, putting on his mask of indifference. He knew Phil would see the concern through it anyways, but it was habit to try to hide it anyways.

"The others... Fury didn't want anyone to know. They don't know I'm alive, Stark," Coulson told him, frowning. Tony could see the pain that statement caused in the agent's eyes. He was not happy that they people he cared about didn't get to know he was alive. Tony wondered if he was thinking of someone specific when he looked like that. Was there someone out there the agent was leaving behind because of all of this? "You shouldn't know either. Remind me to tase you when I get out of here, for hacking into SHIELD again."

And even though the threat made him wince, he focused on what Phil had just told him. The others didn't know. Fury had lied to him, to all of them. Well that wasn't going to stand. Tony was not a big believer of social media, but all of his fellow Avengers (and anyone else who would know who Coulson was and care) were linked to his private Twitter account, and they all had a right to know. So Tony pulled out his phone and made himself an official enemy of Nick Fury.

IronManTS: For anyone interested in the truth over lies, here it is! #CoulsonLives

He heard Phil's phone go off and stood to leave, not wanting to know the man's reaction to his rash decision. He'd be hearing enough of it from Steve later, for posting private news/SHIELD secrets on the internet. Not that they'd expect him to do it any other way, and Tony was big on living up to expectations. So naturally, he'd do what everyone expected him to and save the surprisingly opposite personality for his closest friends and family behind closed doors. So far that was Pepper, Rhodey, and shockingly, Bruce.

Sure enough, Tony barely made it out to his car before the phone calls started. He answered the first one because it was Pepper. He'd answer all of her calls always, even though they'd called it quits a few weeks earlier. She'd always be his lifeline, just not his true love.

"Tony, tell me it's true. Tell me Fury lied to us all about his death and you are not lying right now for attention. Please," was what she said as soon as he answered.

"Of all the people in the world who know anything about me at all, you of all people should know that I don't lie, Pepper. I'm not a liar," he snapped, sliding his key into the ignition. "I'm on my way back to the tower, providing Fury's hitmen don't kill me before I get there."

"Don't joke about that. He's going to be pissed. He's probably already pissed. Get back here as soon as you can," she said, suddenly worried.

"Don't fret, Peps. It'll take more than a car wreck to take me down," he said, hanging up. The phone immediately rang again; it was Bruce. Since he knew the big guy would be trying to make an appearance, he chose to answer this call as well.

"Before you start asking me if it's true, I need you to do those breathing exercises for me, okay?" Tony stated. He could hear Bruce comply, which calmed him down as much as it did Bruce. "Now, I'm not lying. I'm driving back home from seeing him with my own eyes as we speak."

"Tony, how did you find out?" Bruce asked, sounding more calm than Tony expected him to be.

"Jarvis hacked some files last week, during Fury's big lecture after our mission gone wrong. He assured me you all knew, and I got angry when I saw Phil didn't have any visitors yet. So I went to see him, and he told me that nobody was supposed to know, because Fury didn't want to share. That made me more angry, and... I shared," he explained, still proud of himself. He wasn't going to regret going against Fury on this one.

"That's a dangerous thing to do. Fury is going to retaliate, Tony. I don't know who will stay on your side," Bruce told him, sounding more worried than Pepper had. And that was actually something Tony hadn't considered. He frowned.

"Well... shit. I hadn't thought of that. I'd love to say all you Avengers would be on my side, but... Natasha and Barton are agents. And Steve is a stickler for rules... Thor is off-world and will be for who knows how long. Are you..." Tony couldn't finish the question. It would hurt far too much to hear that Bruce was against him on this.

"I like hearing the truth. I've been tired of Fury's lies for a while now, and you know that. I'm on your side," he replied immediately, as if he'd expected the question. "So is Barton, by the way. I heard him muttering on the way down to my lab. Where he goes, so does Natasha. That just leaves Steve."

Tony sighed, suddenly far too tired. "This is going to turn into the Avengers against SHIELD. I'll have Pepper start some kind of press conference and get us out of SHIELD's shadow. The Avengers are going public; we're not going to work for anyone anymore."

_time jump_

The Avengers were not a perfect team by any means. For starters, almost none of them trusted Clint Barton. It had been four months since the battle of New York, but they just couldn't get over the fact that he'd killed so many people who were innocent. Even though he had no choice, as he so frequently pointed out. Steve just avoided him constantly. Natasha was more distant towards him than usual, but other than that she seemed content to trust him. Bruce also avoided him; not because he didn't trust him, but because the Hulk remembered him causing that explosion in the beginning. Only Tony was openly accepting of him, and he had his reasons.

They were all waiting for him when he got back, together. Even Clint joined the crowd, watching Tony almost frantically. He remembered reading somewhere that Coulson had been his handler, and the only one who had trusted Clint the whole time he'd been in SHIELD. He shot him a small grin, hoping to reassure the man.

"So, you clearly all saw my announcement," he started easily, falling into the role they expected him to take. Bruce seemed to realize what he was doing and frowned, not happy with his friend hiding what he was really feeling. "I thought you all deserved to know what's going on. He doesn't look good, but the doctors assured me he'll be fine in a few months."

Then the shouting started. Natasha and Steve, surprisingly, were trying to be heard above each other as the reprimanded him for hacking SHIELD files and sharing private secrets online. Tony tuned them out, focusing on the two reactions he actually cared to see. Bruce was calm, which was good. He was thinking about something, which was obvious (to Tony) by the wrinkle on his brow and the way his fingers tapped his leg subconsciously.

Clint was pale, and he looked like he could pass out at any moment. Ignoring Natasha and Steve, he walked straight over to him and threw an arm around his shoulder. "I've got something to show you in the lab. Have a minute?" he asked, pretending he hadn't just given life-altering news to the archer. He was giving Clint an out, a way to leave without showing weakness.

"Yeah... I'm free. Let's go," Clint replied. If he sounded grateful, Tony chose to pretend he didn't hear. He just led the archer out of the lounge area and down to the lab, where he had explosive arrows that needed to be tested.


	2. Tony Stark is Not a Hypocrite

Chapter Two: Tony Stark is Not a Hypocrite

The arrows were a success, which was good. If they'd failed, Tony was pretty sure they may have exploded the whole tower and killed all of the Avengers. Well, all but Bruce. That would have been bad, because Tony had no intention of dying just yet. His job wasn't done. He still had to annoy Fury more.

He left Clint to play with his new arrows, making a mental note to improve his bow at the next possible chance, and called Pepper. She'd be in a meeting, but since it was his company and he was the one calling, she'd leave the meeting to talk to him. Just... not happily.

"What do you want, Tony? This meeting is important," she snapped. He rolled his eyes.

"I need you to set up a press conference. The Avengers are no longer SHIELD's puppets. I don't want to have anything to do with Nick Fury anymore, and the majority of them, if not all, are going to follow. I figured I'd make it easier and put the word out before Fury tries to discredit us," he told her. He could almost hear her frustration.

"Tony, if you do this, Fury is going to start an all-out war. Do you know how many things he could make sure goes wrong for you? You've got all of them living with you now. You know that Ross is looking for Bruce; Fury could make sure he finds him. Steve isn't legally a citizen yet, not since he came out of the ice. Natasha and Clint are still agents, Tony! This whole plan is a very bad idea," she told him.

"That's why he won't expect it. I've still got to talk to them about it, but I've got a plan in place. I'm going to offer Agent a place here, and I'm going to have Jarvis terminate the files of anyone who wants to resign from their system. That includes Natasha and Barton. And I've had the papers for Cap for a couple of weeks; they just need his signature. As for Bruce, I'd love to see Ross try to get in here. I would just love for that to happen, because I just improved the security system and he won't stand a chance. Pepper, this is something I took the time to think through. It's not just a spur-of-the-moment decision," he replied, grinning.

"I think this is a bad idea, but I'm not going to say anything else about it. It's your choice. If you want this press conference, I'll schedule it for tomorrow. Have all of them ready, even Nat and Clint, because you're all going to have to talk. Anyone who is joining you, besides Phil of course, needs to be there. Make sure they know they won't be able to come back from this," she replied.

"Thanks Pep. I'll let them know when I talk to them about it. I just finished getting yelled at for my tweet, so I'm giving them time to cool down. I'll call you with the list of names for tomorrow," he said, hanging up.

Bruce was waiting for him outside of the elevator. Tony headed straight for the bar and Bruce followed silently. He didn't speak until Tony offered him a drink and he declined.

"What you did for Clint was nice. He was really upset when Coulson was gone. It was hard to tell, but I've spent most of my life post-accident reading people like him. I can't get too close just yet, because of the Other Guy, but I'm glad you stepped up for him. Not even Natasha noticed his reaction," he said quietly.

"Barton is a good man. It's a shame none of the others, including the big guy, can see that yet. I haven't truly worried about him yet. He's tough. And now he's got his handler back, so it'll be fine. There's something I need to talk to you about, before I bring it up to the others," Tony replied. Bruce nodded for him to go on warily. "I'm holding a press conference tomorrow. This could either make or break the Avengers, depending on who decides to join in. I'm not going to stand by SHIELD anymore, and I'm offering all of you the chance to get away from them with me. We can keep the Avengers going outside of SHIELD influence, and I can delete all of the files of those of you who choose to come with me. Thought I'd offer it to you, first. I can have your files gone tonight. I'd do it anyways, of course. You don't have to come with me. I'm not trying to bribe you or anything, it's a genuine offer."

Bruce was smiling. "I know what you're saying, Tony. Yeah, of course I'll be joining you. I never cared for SHIELD. I thought that was obvious," he answered. Tony grinned happily, relieved. "You're actually nervous about this, aren't you?"

"I'm not necessarily nervous as much as unsure which of them will accept and which will tell me to rot in hell. You guys are slowly becoming actual friends, and I don't want to ruin it. Just... Fury went too far this time. Coulson is a good man; Fury is taking everything away from him by making him play dead. He's upset and it's obvious. I'm not going to watch Fury destroy more lives," Tony argued. Bruce leaned forward and hugged him, shocking the genius into silence.

"What you're doing is very noble. I'm sure they'll all appreciate it, and I'm certain that at least Clint and Natasha will join you. Are you giving the same offer to Phil?" he asked. Tony nodded. "I think it's a good idea. You said there's a press conference? I'm sure Pepper is thrilled you're going through the proper channels."

"She's less thrilled that I interrupted her important meeting to ask her to set it up. I figure if we do the conference, people will be less inclined to listen to whatever crap Fury chooses to spread about us in a few days when he realizes what exactly it is I've started," Tony replied.

"Well, it's what he'll throw at US, not just you. Even if the others bail, you've still got me. I'm not going anywhere," Bruce told him with a smile. "Now, let's go talk to the others before they get overly worried. Natasha at least feels bad for yelling at you, and Clint made his way upstairs after you left him alone. They're upstairs making some form of dinner."

_Time Jump_

The others were hesitant to join Tony in abandoning SHIELD. Clint was the first to agree, Natasha following close behind. Steve didn't know what to do, which was clear on his face. He let Bruce pull him aside to talk for a few minutes, and when they came back he agreed to join his teammates. As Tony prepared to go back to see Coulson and extend the offer, he found to spies trying to force their way into his room to talk to him.

"We want to see him, Stark," Natasha said as soon as Tony opened the door. "We would have gone so much sooner if we'd known he was alive, and I feel bad for not being there for him when he's always been there for me." She shrugged Tony off when he tried to comfort her, but she allowed Clint's hand on her arm.

"He's always been there for me, since before I was officially accepted into SHIELD. He's the only one who backs my decisions most days, and the only one who trusts me without question... hopefully even now. I need to see him for myself, Tony," Clint added.

Tony was going to say yes anyways, but hearing it like that he'd be a monster to deny the request. He nodded and grabbed his wallet and phone, closing the door behind him. "Happy was bringing the car around; it should be ready now. We need to be in and out, because I'm not SHIELD's favorite person right now. Got it?" he replied. They both nodded, obviously relieved, which was scary to Tony. Usually they were the ones who didn't show emotion.

"Fury won't try anything right now, and you've got us. We're not going to let anything happen," Clint assured him. Then he seemed to realize that most people would not be reassured by the thought of his protection anymore and shrank into himself. Tony saw all of that and threw an arm around his shoulder.

"Sounds perfect. I'm glad you've got my back, and I want you both to know that I've got yours too, in all the ways I can," he replied, throwing a wink at Natasha as a joke. She rolled her eyes and mimed shooting him.

_Time Jump_

Coulson was waiting for them, actually sitting up in bed this time. He nodded a greeting at his agents before focusing his attention solely on Tony in a disapproving manner. "You're lucky they won't give me my taser, Stark. Why would you post something like that on the internet? Fury is after your head," he snapped, annoyed.

"People had a right to know, Agent. Even you didn't like that they were keeping it a secret," Tony argued. "But we're not here to argue. Yet. I have an offer for you, one that I offered all of my fellow Avengers. One that they all took." Clint and Natasha nodded in agreement.

"Okay, what is this amazing offer, Stark?" Coulson asked, looking unimpressed. Tony decided a different approach for the agent wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Your phone accesses all the SHIELD files you have access to, correct?" he asked. Coulson nodded. "Search for files on any of the Avengers. Any of them, even these two," he instructed. He didn't miss the look on Clint's face when he was called an Avenger. Had the others not been saying the same all along? Apparently not, judging by Natasha's unease and Clint's shock. He inwardly made a note to fix that as soon as possible. Coulson was searching his phone, getting more and more frustrated. "You can't find them because they don't exist anymore. As far as SHIELD is concerned, the Avengers are just names on the street. You've got no more backgrounds, no more medical histories, no more intel, no anything but their names and their current address. Whatever the phone book and internet have. And you know why?" Phil shook his head, face blank. "Because the Avengers no longer belong to SHIELD. We're breaking off because Fury keeps too many secrets. He has an agenda for everything, and we're tired of it. I came tonight to offer you a spot with us. I'll wipe all of your records, you'll come live with us in the tower and be our official handler. You'll have access to all of the latest tech and anything I've got. What do you say?"

Phil's face remained blank from years of practice. Inside, Tony was sure he was thinking through everything and trying to make a decision. Clint stepped forward and sat in the chair beside his bed. "I wasn't sure either, until I thought about what they did to you. Fury has you playing dead, Phil. Well, not anymore. I almost lost you because of that. I'm done with SHIELD because Fury doesn't have our best interests at heart. He has his own plans, and we're all just pawns. Maybe it's the same for Stark, but at least he hasn't made any of us fake our own deaths or sent us on suicide missions where survival is a miracle. That's why I made my decision."

Phil thought that over for a bit before nodding. "Okay. You all have a point. Nick has always been my best friend, but he's done the same thing to me with those missions. And faking my own death was never appealing to me. I wouldn't care if it were just the rest of the world, but until today only three other people knew I was alive, and I'm not okay with that. Stark, what exactly are you offering?"

"A home at the Tower, a complete erase of all SHIELD files related to you in any way, and a place in the Avengers. Basically, what's mine is becoming all of yours. We're holding a press conference tomorrow to make it official, but you obviously won't be there. Actually, it would be best if we broke you out of here before then so Fury's wrath doesn't hit you first. I've got a medical floor at the tower that is at least as good as this. Sound okay?" he replied without pause.

"Fine. How exactly are we leaving here without Fury's knowledge?" Coulson replied, sounding vaguely amused. Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Natasha and Clint are going to get you out of here right now. Take the car and get him to the tower. I'll follow shortly. I'm going to take one for the team. If I'm not at the tower in half an hour, send Pepper. She'll know what to do; she always does," he said, sounding resigned. They were all worried at his tone of voice but wisely chose to mind their own business and didn't call him on it.

_Time Jump_

Two hours later, Pepper and Tony walked into the tower together talking quietly. "I'm just saying, maybe it wasn't a great idea to cut the power to the entire lab area. Fury was already annoyed with you, and you've just pushed him over the edge," she hissed, annoyed.

"You showed up right on time though. I'm glad they did as instructed or I would have been toast. You're right; Fury wasn't happy with me. I think he was about to actually shoot me," Tony stated, suppressing his laugh. He found the whole situation comical at this point, and Pepper was at her own breaking point.

"Clint is the one who called me. He sounded really upset, and I didn't see him when I was here earlier. Where does he hide?" she asked, suddenly turning concerned for someone else. Tony thought about it.

"I think he hangs out in the vents above his room, and sometimes the ones above my lab. Stays invisible that way. Jarvis alerted me the first few times he went up there, but I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Unfortunately, the others didn't agree. The first time he did it I was in the common area with Bruce and Steve, and Steve freaked out and ordered Jarvis to evacuate him before I could do anything. After that, I set it as a specific code and nobody else understands what Jarvis is talking about when he tells me," he replied. Pepper nodded.

"You might want to check on him. I'm fairly certain he's not doing well. You remember how you were after Afghanistan, right? Well, he's like that only maybe worse. He wasn't the one who was tortured; he's the one who did the torturing," she told him. "I've got to go back to my office. I have calls I need to make, and you have other things to worry about right now. Like your archer, and maybe your genius best friend. Oh! Before I forget, Rhodey is coming by sometime next week to see you. He's got a week of vacation and wants to catch up. I cleared your schedule." And then she was gone.

Tony went up to the roof, because that's where Jarvis said he was hiding. He didn't bother announcing his presence when he opened the access door, and he was glad he hadn't. Clint was leaning out so far that he was definitely in danger of falling. He was miles away, that much was obvious. His bow was clutched in his hand, but there were no arrows on or near him which was strange. As Tony watched, the archer nearly lost his balance in the breeze and started to fall forward. Tony lunged forward and yanked him back.

"What the hell are you doing?! You just almost died!" Tony reprimanded, letting go of his arm and watching him. Clint was shrinking into himself again, which was worrying. He stayed silent for a very long time, just looking out at the city. Just as Tony was about to give up and drag him inside, he spoke.

"I was aware of what I was doing, the whole time I was under Loki's control. It's like... I didn't know that what I was doing was wrong. I was just following orders. His magic twisted my brain around so that I thought what I was doing was right, that the people I was killing were my enemy. I was essentially inside of Loki's mind. I took pleasure from killing several of the people, the ones who begged me not to, because in my twisted mind I actually thought they were lying to me. Like they were just saying things to make me stop and didn't actually mean any of it. I knew who was on the Helicarrior when I tried to bring it down, and I didn't care. I didn't even care that it was Natasha and Phil that I'd be hurting. They are my family, my life at this point, and... I just didn't care. There are some days still that I don't realize I'm not trapped in that state still. I'll find myself thinking things that are most definitely not normal for me, and I wonder if the connection is still there. I killed so many people... I can't come back from that, Tony," he said quietly.

Tony took a second to think before he answered. "A few years ago, I owned the world's largest weapons facility. We were putting new weapons out there every other week, mostly my design. I had to travel out to Afghanistan to give a presentation to some of our army officials, and I was taken captive while I was there. A lot of things happened, but the thing that impacted me most was that my weapons, the ones I worked so hard on and sold to only our country, were being used by the enemy almost more than our own people. Someone in my company was selling them to the enemy, and I was killing more of our people than anyone else. I've been where you are, maybe not exactly the same, but closer than anyone else in the team. You didn't mean to do any of that. You had no choice in it. Well, neither did I all that time ago. I didn't know what was going on, and I fixed it as soon as I realized. It's why Stark Industries doesn't do weapons anymore."

"It was your father's partner who was selling them, wasn't it? Stane?" Clint asked, looking over at him. "I'd read about it in your file, but I forgot about it in everything that's happened. I didn't think any of you would understand, but... maybe you do."

"Probably not entirely, but definitely more than the others. Hell, I bet Bruce understands too. Hulk is a part of him that he can't control, who hurts innocent people. We're all messed up, Clint. I'd be a hypocrite if I held what you did against you, and I am NOT a hypocrite. Believe it or not, I trust you," Tony told him, meaning every word. It seemed to do what it was meant to do: calming Clint down.

"Can we go inside? It's getting cold out here and I'm done moping for tonight," Clint asked with a small smile. Tony nodded, relieved, and led him inside. If he worked extra hard that night to make a new and improved bow for the archer, no comment was made.


	3. Tony Stark is Not an Asshole

_Chapter Three: Tony Stark is Not An Asshole_

The press conference started out well, then turned into a disaster, then got better again. The reporters were especially full of questions, and Tony was constantly worried that one of them would take it too far.

"_If the Avengers are going public, does that mean other heroes will come forward as well?"_

"The option is certainly open. We support any of our fellow heroes who want to be seen as individual instead of part of an organization. There is no pressure on any of them to step forward, of course," Steve answered calmly.

"_After the Chitauri invasion, you all disappeared. Where did you go?"_

"We all kind of went our separate ways for a while. I left the country for a couple of months to finish up some work I'd been doing in a different part of the world," Bruce started.

"You all know I stayed around here and partied," Tony added with a wink.

"Clint and I stayed on and worked for the agency that was in charge of the Avengers previously. We have since resigned and will be joining Stark Industries," Natasha stated calmly.

"I was around, doing community work and adjusting to the world today. Everything is so different, you know," Steve finished. "But we've all now committed to working here at SI, and we have become full-time Avengers."

"_How did the organization react to finding out you all were leaving? And what organization was it?"_

"They are finding out right now, the same time that you are. We are not at liberty to give you a name for this agency," Natasha replied.

"_If you are protecting us from other dangerous threats, who is protecting us from you? You've got a monster on your team!"_

They all collectively flinched at this question, and Tony shot a quick glance at Bruce to check his reaction. He just seemed resigned by it all, and that was not okay.

"We know what you think of Hulk. Hell, Hulk even knows what you think of him. But it's not accurate. Hulk only becomes a "monster" when he feels threatened by all of you. You sent an army after him, so yeah, he retaliated to defend himself. But if you'll remember our battle in New York against the aliens, Hulk defended all of you and saved more lives than the rest of us put together. Calling him a monster is essentially calling yourselves monsters, too," he stated, meaning every word. He didn't look at his fellow Avengers, because he didn't want to see their reactions. Especially not Bruce's.

"_How can we know for sure that the Hulk won't choose to attack us instead of protecting us?"_

"If what Tony said didn't reassure you, you're never going to hear anything that will. Hulk is not a threat to any of you unless you suddenly decide to try to take over the world," Clint said, frowning. Tony nodded, grateful for the back up.

"_Will any new Avengers be added to the team now that you're taking control, Mr. Stark?"_

"Let's clear that up right now. I'm not taking control of the team. I'm simply sharing what I have with them. We've got a handler that we all chose together, and that's not me or anyone present today. If anyone is added to the team, it will be by agreement from all of us, not just my choosing. Honestly, if any one of us is leader of this team, it would be Cap, and we all know it," Tony stated clearly.

"And I'm not," Steve added, before the rumor could start.

"_What kinds of problems can we expect the Avengers to be solving? Which criminals will you deem worthy of fighting?"_

"To my knowledge there's not a scale to rank villains. Any that threaten the city or even the planet, the Avengers will respond to. Criminals that the police can handle probably won't be on our radar unless one of us is in the vicinity, and then we'll step in to help of course," Bruce replied after a bit of thought. They all nodded, agreeing.

The rest of the questions were pretty basic, and Pepper ended the conference after two full hours of questions and answers. Bruce disappeared pretty quickly, but Tony wasn't worried. He would probably go down to the lab to use Tony's method of coping: inventing until you literally pass out. Crowds and angry people were not his thing.

The others did not disappear quite so quickly. They ended up on Tony's penthouse floor together, but not really together. Steve went straight for the kitchen to cook for everyone. Natasha claimed the couch and TV, where she immediately put on some James Bond movie. Clint went for the window by himself, just staring out. Tony observed all of this and decided not to bother any of them. He would just be annoying them while they spent time recovering from the questions he was bombarded with every day. After the serious questions came the ones about rumors and relationships, and they had all done their best to keep their composure. Now they wanted to decompress in their own ways, and Tony could relate. So he headed for his bedroom to take a shower.

He made it all the way to the bathroom before Natasha intercepted him. It was impressive because he hadn't even heard her leave the sitting room. She had him pinned to the wall before he could make any sound.

"What you said about Bruce and the Hulk. That was very well thought out. You don't treat any of us like the monsters we are. Why?" she asked.

"You're not monsters. Why would I treat you like something you're not?" Tony asked, confused. It took him a minute to realize she meant all of the deaths and trouble they'd each individually caused. "Oh, I get it. You think your past makes you a monster. If I thought like that, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I've killed just as much if not more than you, just indirectly."

"I've read your file. I know of your past as well as I know my own. We are not strangers, Stark, yet you didn't treat me like this last time we met. What changed?" she demanded.

"I got to know you better. You guys are the closest thing I've got to family, other than Pepper and Rhodey. So yeah, I'm going to defend you and treat you like normal people. Only better than I treat normal people, because Pepper has assured me many times that I'm an asshole," he replied, smiling slightly.

"Pepper is right, you're very rude to people you don't know well," Natasha agreed, refusing to smile back. "But what makes you think we're friends?"

That stung, but Tony refused to show how much. He knew this; this was her defense mechanism against getting hurt by people she could potentially care about. He had the exact same reaction every time he could make a new friend. He had always chosen to push people away before, which is why there had previously been only two people in the world who cared about him at all. She had no way of knowing any of that, so he didn't let her question go to heart (or he tried not to at least).

"We live together. We save the world together and have saved each other's lives more than once. If we aren't friends, then we at least are allies and have the ability to get along. Even if we didn't have that, I'm not in the habit of calling people monsters. Not even when they deserve it, like a certain director I can think of," he told her, managing to escape her grasp. Now was not the time for a confrontation, not for either of them. They'd just end up fighting. She seemed to accept that and let him go, leaving to finish her movie and think.

_Time Jump_

Tony avoided Natasha for a few days after that. He knew when to keep his distance and when to push for more. This was the time for distance, to let her process everything that had been said and come to her own conclusions. In a few days he planned to talk to her again and see what she'd come up with. He'd be lying if he said he didn't want her friendship, but he was fully expecting her to walk out the door and not look back. He wasn't worth it; he knew that.

He spent a lot of time in the lab with Bruce. Bruce was doing better than he had in years, and it was obvious to all of them. Tony knew from his file that he'd never had a lot of friends, and now he was living in a tower with four other people who he considered friends. He did not come right out and thank Tony for defending him, but he showed it in other ways.

"Hey Tony, can you come check this equation for me? I don't want to add the last chemical until I know it won't explode your tower," he called out. Tony was immediately crossing the room to see. Not because he was worried about the tower, but because Bruce had never shared his work like this before. He was a private person, even after his experiments were done Tony had to ask to see the results.

"Looks good to me. I can't find any flaws in your math, so you should be good to go. What's this for?" he asked, studying it carefully.

"I'm working on a tranquilizer for the Other Guy. Something that you can inject him with that will make me turn back instantly. You'll have to design an arrow for it or something, because I doubt he'd let you do it willingly, but it'll be a way to stop him from destroying things after a battle," Bruce replied, carefully adding the last chemical.

"You know that's not necessary. He stopped destroying things after the battles when he almost accidentally smashed me that one time. I was shiny like the cars he was smashing, and he got carried away. Thankfully he realized what he was about to do on time, and it wasn't an issue after that," Tony replied, amused. That had been an interesting "conversation". Steve had tried lecturing, but in the end it had been Tony who had made Hulk understand, using simple words and improvised drawings on the pavement with his repulsor beams.

Bruce stared at him for a minute, his expression unreadable. "You are completely crazy, Tony Stark. How can you sit there and be so calm about it? He almost killed you."

"But he didn't, and he wouldn't. He understands more than you realize, once you figure out how to get through to him. It just so happens he learns best from pictures and small words. Also, he really doesn't like Cap. Which really, neither do I when he gets into lecture mode," Tony replied, shrugging off Bruce's concern.

"Pictures and small words?" he had an incredulous look on his face, like he just couldn't believe Tony would do that.

"Yeah. I used what I had to explain why smashing things other than the enemy can be a bad thing, and he listened. He doesn't do that anymore now," Tony nodded, smiling. Bruce just shook his head and turned back to his formula.

"I don't understand you. I probably never will. People are terrified to even be in the same room as _me, _and here you are drawing pictures for Hulk. It is a miracle you are still alive," he grumbled. Tony could hear the unspoken worry and stress that was being conveyed. Bruce was basically telling him that he really didn't want Tony to be hurt, especially not by his (exceptionally bigger) hand. He didn't want anything to happen to Tony, because he'd never forgive himself. Bruce cared about Tony's life, and that made the genius smile.

"Don't worry so much. You'd do the same if our situations were reversed," he said, leaning against the lab table and watching. Bruce didn't reply, and Tony wasn't sure if it was because he couldn't argue that point or he just didn't want to.

After that, Bruce asked for his opinion multiple times, and even helped him develop the new arrows. Clint was thrilled to test them, but he had to wait for the next battle.

Usually, after a battle Tony would fly the suit over to Hulk and talk with him until he calmed down enough to change back. Bruce never remembered the conversations, which was good for Tony because they were always embarrassing for him. He had told the Hulk more than he'd ever told anyone before, which was something he'd never admit. This time, he had about a minute to explain what was happening before Clint shot Hulk with an arrow that may or may not turn him back into Bruce.

The arrow was (thankfully) a success, but Bruce passed out nearly as soon as he changed back. Tony caught him easily and flew back to the tower, laying him in his own bed. Hopefully Bruce wouldn't freak out when he woke up in a bedroom that was not his own, but Tony didn't want to leave him alone with an untested drug in his system.

He woke up three hours later, completely rested and relaxed. Neither of them were sure if the drug was still in his system and causing the relaxation, or if it was from the uninterrupted sleep.

"Hey sleeping beauty, sleep well?" Clint asked when they walked out together. Bruce shot him a smile, not feeling the usual unease.

"Shockingly yes. The drug worked, so you should keep it on you at all times. Just in case. Actually, I'm working with Tony to make some bullets or darts that have the same effect for the rest of you," he replied, actually still smiling.

"I already told you there's no need. He hasn't accidentally injured anyone in months, and you've got more control over your changes than ever before," Tony muttered, going to the kitchen to get food. He found Pepper in there, sitting at the table doing some kind of paperwork.

"What's going on?" he asked, grabbing a handful of blueberries and sitting across from her. She glanced up at him before signing her name and shoving a stack at him to sign.

"Remember how I said Fury was going to be pissed and retaliate? Well, it's starting," she snapped, grabbing a few more papers to read through.

"What's he doing?" he asked, glancing down at what he was signing.

"Trying to get a warrant for Doctor Banner's immediate arrest and containment, using Ross's claim that he's unstable and uncontrollable. From what I can tell, the second he gets his hands on Bruce, he's handing him over to Ross for experimentation," she replied. "What you're signing are the release forms for our lawyers. We can't let this happen."

"No shit!" Tony snapped, immediately signing all of the forms. "We might have something else that will help, too. We've just developed a drug that changes him back instantly. He's not a danger to anyone, Pepper, I truly believe that!"

"We know that, but the rest of the world isn't convinced. I'm scared Ross could actually win this, Tony. Enough people are on his side," she said, frowning.

"Maybe he should win. Maybe they're all right," Bruce said from the doorway. He'd clearly heard the majority of the conversation because he was pale and shaking. Tony was at his side almost instantly, rubbing his shoulder to get him to breathe normally and trying to stop the shaking.

"You and I both know that's not true. They are _not_ going to get their way, Bruce," he protested. "Come on, let's go work in the lab. Get your mind off of those idiots for a while. Don't stress it; we won't let anything happen to you."

He shot a glance at Pepper as they were leaving the room and chose to ignore her pointed look. He was not going to share his feelings like some teenage girl, no matter how many times she told him he should. Eventually he'd just find a way to _show_ Bruce. He gave her a quick wink before the elevator door closed, hoping she wouldn't choose to recruit the others to help her in making him confess.


End file.
